Stay
by Rannison
Summary: WARNING: Shoujo-ai pairing (Tifa x Yuffie)! This is a short story about heartbreak, grief, hope, and second chances.


A/N: This is a one-shot AU fic, post-meteor but disregarding the AC arc. WARNING: This fic involves shoujo-ai content.

**Stay**

By: Rannison

Tifa's eyes flew opened the instant her alarm went off.

With a frustrated sigh, she willed her body to relax before slapping the alarm without looking and sinking back into her pillow.

It'd been two years already.

As the morning sun filtered through her blinds to reach across her closed eyes, Tifa took several deep breathes, coercing her pulse to slow back down and suppressing the adrenaline that had instantly begun to course through her body the moment she woke. Even though the fight was long over, even though this was a time of peace and prosperity, the fighter's body did not – _could_ not – forget.

After several minutes passed, Tifa calmly sat up and got out of bed. The cold floor creaked as she made her way to the bathroom where she turned on the cold water and splashed her face, welcoming the shock. She continued her morning routine, brushing her teeth while the shower started, mechanically going through the steps. Ten minutes later, she was back on the bed, brushing her hair before tying it back with her Ribbon…a precious memento from Aerith.

It was eight o' clock sharp when she unlocked the front door downstairs and flipped the sign from 'CLOSED' to 'OPEN'. Of course, being a bar, there was no reason to open this early. But there was nothing else to do.

Seven days a week, without exception, Tifa operated the bar from 8AM to 11PM. She did not hire any help, nor did she ever take a day off. She did so because she had to. Because if she didn't keep herself busy, if she didn't keep her hands constantly wiping the counter, making a drink, cooking a meal, throwing out the occasional unruly customers, she would start to feel _it_ once more.

What was 'it' exactly? She didn't know how to define it in words, nor did she care to. The feeling of restlessness, of dreadful desperation, the yearning for the fight, the bloodlust, the darkness…the turmoils she kept locked away inside of her, ever since the shining blade pierced through Aerith's body. The feeling that she had to _act_, to keep moving and fighting and moving, that if she stayed complacent too long, disaster and pain would inevitably strike, over and over.

The fighter wasn't crazy, but she wasn't exactly all there anymore either. None of it mattered though, because she didn't belong in this world anymore. Rather, the world had moved on, and she remained; buoyed by the relentless current of time, yet anchored solidly, drowning in the past. Tifa was caught in a strange new world where bright new smiles and laughter rang everywhere, yet she stumbled in the darkness without place or purpose.

The glass she was polishing shattered in her clenched fist, startling out of her musings. Sighing in resignation, Tifa forced the thoughts out of her head and got a rag to clean up the mess. After she was finished prepping, she grabbed a Collins glass and began mixing a drink.

_One parts vodka. One parts white rum. One parts silver tequila. One parts gin. One parts triple sec. One parts Mako Liqueur. One parts cranberry juice, and a splash of sweet and sour._

She methodically recanted the recipe in her head, one of her favorites, and poured with precision and speed that can only come with numerous years of experience. Without spilling a single drop, she even spun the gin bottle behind her back, catching and pouring it with a flourish; a practiced trick she used to perform to attract more tips and to entertain customers.

The fighter returned each bottle to their proper place, and placed a straw into the Collins. She paused a moment to study the glass, then grabbed the tequila again to top off the remaining space. "Ta-daa…" the bartender drawled with sarcastic enthusiasm. Tifa took a minute to admire the glowing and aptly named Mako Liqueur slowly fusing with the transparent half of the drink, creating an aquatic radiance that was aesthetically pleasing. She stirred the drink, watching as the miscible liquids diffused into one homogeneous solution; the luminescent green reminded her of her mastered Fire material, which irradiated the same inner glow and warmth. Without hesitation, she brought the glass to her lips and chugged the contents of the glass in one go.

"Ya know –"

Out of instinct and muscle memory, Tifa reacted instantly by violently pitching the Collins glass at the source of the sudden noise. Her fists came up in a ready stance, prepared to eliminate the intruders should they close in. To her surprise, she saw a familiar figure standing at the doorway, holding the glass an inch away from their face, having caught it just barely in time from smashing said visage.

"—I was _gonna _say you'll _die_ if ya drink something crazy like that, but I guess I should be more worried about myself! Haha…"

Yuffie Kisaragi, daughter and successor to the Wutanese leader Godo, stood at her doorway. A sheen of perspiration shown on the kunoichi's face, betraying the shock of narrowly avoiding having her countenance destroyed by the high-velocity projectile that was just precisely chucked at her head.

"God damn it, Yuffie, what the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that?!" Tifa shouted with part anger and part relief. "I could have killed you! How the hell did you get in here without tripping the bell?"

The ninja only smiled, tossing the glass back to the bartender. "If I couldn't manage something like that, I wouldn't be the world's greatest ninja, now would I?" She stated with mock bravado. She took a seat at the bar, as Tifa returned the glass to the sink behind the counter. It seemed the girl had matured a lot since they last met, and Tifa couldn't help notice not only the physical growth but the worldly air she had gained as well; where there used to be youthful exuberance was now refined passion, but the mischievous humor shining in her eyes remained.

"So, what brings you around? It's been…" Tifa trailed off.

"Two years."

The bartender kept her eyes on the glass, taking longer than necessary to rinse and dry it. She didn't miss her tone, the slight hint of injured puzzlement…but she chose to ignore it.

Not one to be deterred, the ninja pushed on. "It's been two years, Tifa. You dodge our calls, you ignore our letters, and you refuse to come visit any of us. Everyone's been busy, Barrett with rebuilding Corel and Cid with Rocket Town. But they all keep in touch…everyone except you." The ninja watched as Tifa completely avoided looking anywhere near her direction, now polishing glasses that looked spot-free. "We're all worried about you, Tifa…you've been so distant, ever since…"

"Ever since Cloud and Vincent left to god knows where? Ever since Aerith died, while we stood by and did nothing? Ever since we 'saved the world'," she mocked, "just for all the other _vultures_ to swoop in and profit from ShinRa's remains?" the bartender spat, slamming the glass she was polishing down.

Yuffie said nothing, at first unable to respond to the sudden and unexpected bitter animosity. She chose her words carefully, "Tifa…you can't blame yourself for what happened…none of us could have known…"

"Ha!" Tifa returned the glass, and grabbed another, furiously polishing with the rag. "Everyone who died…everyone who gave up their lives, what was it all for? Look at these people, oblivious and ungrateful, fighting over the scraps leftover from ShinRa's demise. Do they remember? Do they remember the faces of those who gave their lives? Jesse, Biggs, Wedge, Aerith, everyone in Sector 7, everyone else we couldn't save…what did they all die for? The world hasn't changed at all. We're still slowly killing the planet, just with discretion and false hope now."

Yuffie fell silent, not knowing how to respond. Tifa knew she was being unfair to the visiting comrade, but the heat of the alcohol was pumping through her veins and she had held these thoughts in for too long a time. Trying to reign in her outpouring introspections, she fell back to silently cleaning the already clean glasses.

"Tifa…what you did – what we all did – it meant something. Those sacrifices hurt, yes, but…have you seen Marlene? She's grown so much since you last spoke to her." Tifa turned away in discomfort, but Yuffie continued. "And Shera and Cid, did you know that they're expecting? Can you imagine it, Cid, becoming a father? I never thought I'd see the day," she laughed. "…and Wutai. I can't even begin to express my gratitude, Tifa. If you hadn't fought by my side, if we hadn't succeeded in our mission, I don't know what would have happened to my people, to my father. I am…_so_ grateful to have had you at fight by my side." She bowed her head down, hiding her face behind her hair. "Thanks to us, my people have returned to _living_, not as some tourist trap, but as a _people_, as a nation."

"…I'm happy for you all," Tifa answered after a pause. "You all had something to go home to."

"Damn it, Teef, you have _us_!" Yuffie slapped her hands on the counter, now facing Tifa with her chin up, eyes smoldering with the intensity of her emotions. Tifa remembered those eyes, they were most memorable feature of the young ninja. Their flaring hazel complexion always accentuated the kunoichi's intensity when she spoke out. She found she couldn't meet that honest gaze, she felt stygian under the scrutiny.

"I can't do it. I can't pretend to move on, pretend that everything is just rainbows and butterflies." She felt the burn in her eyes, and the hitch in her throat, but she couldn't stop now. "She didn't deserve to die…it should have been me…not her."

The slap was sharp, and unexpected. Yuffie looked just as shocked as Tifa, her hand stinging from the impact. They stood frozen in place for a few moments, unable to exchange words. The ninja was the first to break the spell.

"I'm sorry, that was…it was a mistake to come here. I'll leave now," the ninja mumbled, turning to leave.

The bartender knew Yuffie did not – _could_ not – possibly understand the true cause for her insurmountable thoughts and self-torture. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was the emotional state she found herself in; perhaps it was that after all this time, the fighter found that she really _did_ want closure, redemption, relief, solace. Her inner turmoil, her demons, they were already beyond stirred and agitated, and she found that she couldn't hold it in any longer. She _needed_ to share her grief; she _needed_ Yuffie to understand, before she forever receded back into her isolated and silent, monotonous insanity.

"…_I loved her_…" she whispered.

Yuffie stopped, and turned back questioningly, not sure if she had imagined the fighter's strained words.

"As more than a friend," Tifa continued, "more than a sister." She picked another glass up, compulsively polishing and shining, ignoring the dull throb of her cheek, vision blurring as tears escaped her eyes and dropped onto the glass in her trembling hands. After all this time of withholding the words from the world, locking away the feelings behind door after door after door, the admission broke something deep within her. She felt the dilapidated walls she'd so desperately constructed around her heart begin to fracture violently, the usual dull throb clenching forcefully with suddenly renewed vigor.

She didn't notice when the ninja had moved, but she was suddenly embraced by soft warmth. Her senses were flooded by an unidentifiable but sweetly pleasant scent; flowers of some sort. The ninja was shorter than her, and so softly delicate.

Tifa couldn't remember the last time she'd been held like this. She felt self-conscious of her own coarseness, so unrefined and awkward in comparison; but the younger girl didn't show any sign of noticing, instead she simply held her closer, whispering unintelligible yet oddly comforting nothings. After all this time, the fighter finally gave in, her grief and vulnerabilities unable to be held back any longer. She cried dolefully and without restraint, all the while Yuffie watched over her not with pity, but only a gentle and soft empathy.

…

"Feeling better?"

Yuffie had locked up the front, and guided them upstairs to the living room couch despite the older woman's weak protests.

"Dying of embarrassment, more like," the bartender sniffled with a sheepish pout, to which the ninja shone a giant grin, "what's with that shit-eating grin?!" Tifa swatted at her half-heartedly, but couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Good, finally a smile," the ninja graced a smile of her own, this time tender like her tone.

Tifa felt her pulse skip at the girl's expression and voice, and her breath caught in her chest. "Yuffie…"

Catching the unintended change in mood, the smaller girl tensed up. "Ahem. Well then, I suppose I should be…you know…getting out your hair and, uh…I'll uh…go…now," she finished lamely. Her sudden awkwardness would have been comedic, had her discomfort not been so palpable. Getting up to leave, the bartender found herself reaching out to grab her hand on impulse.

"Wait."

The surprised kunoichi turned to face the fighter, who averted her inquiring gaze with a blush. "Please…stay with me, just a while longer." When she looked back up, she caught a wistful expression on the young woman's face for a moment. Then it was gone, replaced by a cocky grin. "No prob!"

The moment of tension between them disappeared as if it'd never occurred, and eventually the girls found themselves caught up in conversation. Tifa pulled a few beers out of the mini-fridge, showing Yuffie the trick to popping the caps off the edge of the table and laughing at the frustrated ninja's failed attempts. They talked about the past, reenacting funny moments, toasted to the fallen, and caught up on missed current events. Eventually, the words dwindled away along with the sun outside, and the two sat in comfortable silence together.

"Yuffie?" Tifa asked, nursing her beer. She kicked her feet up over the side of the couch, and laid back across the younger girl's lap without spilling a drop.

"Hmm?" the kunoichi seemed to suddenly find the bottle in her hand a subject of intense interest and study.

"Why did you come today? Really?" Tifa's voice was soft, but potent. The smoky timbre in her voice nearly brought a shiver to the younger girl. Yuffie felt goosebumps rise across her arms, and couldn't keep her eyes locked with the older woman's soulful gaze.

"Aw, hell Tifa…you know me, I don't like beating around the bush." She summed up her inner resolve, and brought her gaze back to the woman's without falter. "I missed you. I've…liked you, for a long time now. No, don't say anything," Yuffie gently brought a finger up to stop Tifa from speaking. "I…that's why, it hurt me so much when you just left us. I was selfish. I only thought of my own pain, and when I went back to Wutai, I tried my best to forget and let go. I threw myself into restoring Wutai, didn't let myself think about anything else. But when it was all said and done, I just woke up one day and realized how empty and alone I felt."

This time it was her gaze, intensely smoldering, that Tifa almost couldn't meet. But she forced herself to keep the contact, to listen all the way through. Her heart pounded, each word seemingly driving her pulse up higher, stirring the butterflies to frenzy in her core. She'd never seen the younger girl so serious before about anything, even in the midst of battle or in the most desperate situations.

Yuffie continued, "I regretted never telling you, every single day. I was happy to have known you as a friend and comrade, but I couldn't let it go no matter how much time had passed. So I came. I wanted closure, to stamp out what was left of my feelings, for good. I never imagined you'd be in worse shape than me," Yuffie smiled. She bit her lip, and went on. "Like I said, I was being selfish, but I'm glad…it's a load off my shoulders! More importantly, I'm glad I was here for you…" She blushed, realizing her last statement was a bit forward. "Not that I expect anything in return! I'd never take advantage of you while you were vulnerable…" she trailed off, running out of steam, face warmed with a pink tinge.

Yuffie stiffened out of shock when, without warning, Tifa leaned up and touched her lips to hers. The fighter's sweet breath, her warmth and softness, overrode all senses and froze time. The ninja's heart stopped, and she closed her eyes, her racing mind voided of all words, wishing only to remain in this moment forever. But just as quickly as it had happened, the fighter pulled away with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, Yuffie. I...never knew how you felt, all this time. I was just selfishly trapped in my own pain, and I blocked everyone else out. It must have been so hard on you, and to think I'd be the one to cause you pain..." The fighter continued, her gaze soft and her smile genuine, "Even though I'm a total mess right now, even though I can't properly answer your feelings as I am...I'm really, truly happy."

She chuckled at Yuffie's speechless expression and continued, "So, what I mean to say is, even though it may be selfish of me...I want you to stay with me, Yuffie. And it's not just because you happened to be here in my moment of weakness, or because you're so incredibly cute, or because you're the most talented female ninja I know," she tongued her cheek playfully. "It's because, if it's _you _Yuffie...even for someone like me, I have a chance to hope for happiness again. I...don't want to silently throw away that chance this time. So, if you're not opposed, would you...like to date me?"

Yuffie, finally regaining her composure, bashfully toyed with her hair while looking away, her contenance covered in a flushed open-mouthed grin. She couldn't hold back a burst of laughter, catching Tifa off guard as well. "Hehe, sorry sorry, I'm just...really happy too." She looked down at Tifa lovingly, and answered playfully. "Well, I _suppose_ I can stick around and stuff, I was really needing a vacation anyway." A pillow landed in her face, followed by laughter as the fighter tickled the smaller girl relentlessly.

The pair settled into the couch soon after, the younger girl holding the older from behind.

"Yuffie..."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you...for coming back for me."

"I'll never leave ya behind, not even if you give up on yourself, or on the whole world..."

Overcome with emotions, the fighter felt words were too insufficient for the moment. Instead, she turned around, facing the smaller girl, and kissed her chastely with gentle affection. Her eyes conveyed it all, and Yuffie in return, touched her forehead to Tifa's while grinning happily.

She had every intention of upholding her promise. For the rest of their lives.

~ FIN ~

A/N: There you go! I was in a bit of a slump, but getting this short-fic out of my head and onto paper cheered me up =3. Hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it!


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